Voodoo F510 Review: A Look Back at Early 2000s High-End Custom PCs

[admin]

The Voodoo F510: A Glimpse into Early 2000s High-End Custom PCs

In the early 2000s, the PC enthusiast market was a different landscape. Before the era of mass-produced gaming laptops and off-the-shelf desktops, companies like Voodoo PC catered to a niche audience of hardcore gamers and professionals who demanded the absolute best performance, regardless of cost. The Voodoo F510, part of the F-Class series, was a flagship system that exemplified this philosophy. Priced at over $6,000, it was a machine built for those who wanted to push the limits of gaming and productivity without overclocking.

Hardware and Performance

At its core, the F510 utilized Intel’s Canterwood platform, featuring the 875P chipset, which supported an 800MHz system bus and DDR400 memory. This was paired with a Pentium 4 3GHz processor, a top-tier ATI Radeon 9800 graphics card, and a Creative Audigy 2 sound card. Storage options included either two 120GB Seagate SATA drives in RAID 0 or a single 200GB Western Digital ATA/100 drive. This combination delivered exceptional performance for its time, making it a dream machine for gamers and content creators.

Design and Build Quality

Voodoo PCs were known for their stunning aesthetics, and the F510 was no exception. The case featured a custom paint job with a clear side panel, revealing the internal components illuminated by fluorescent lighting. Cable management was meticulously done, with wires tucked away to improve airflow and reduce the need for multiple fans. This attention to detail not only made the system visually appealing but also contributed to its cooling efficiency.

Legacy and Impact

While the Voodoo F510 was a niche product, it represented the pinnacle of custom PC building in the early 2000s. It inspired a generation of enthusiasts to build their own high-performance rigs, often at a fraction of the cost. Today, the F510 is remembered as a symbol of an era when boutique PC builders pushed the boundaries of what was possible, setting the stage for the modern custom PC market.

[Reference]

Knowledge Hub Summary: A review of the Voodoo F510, a high-end custom gaming PC from 2003 featuring Intel Canterwood, Pentium 4, Radeon 9800, and Audigy 2.

Official References & Documentation:

• Voodoo PC Wikipedia - Wikipedia article on Voodoo PC, a Canadian computer manufacturer specializing in high-end gaming PCs from 1991 to 2007.
• Intel 875P Chipset Overview - Intel’s official page for the 875P chipset, part of the Canterwood platform, supporting 800MHz FSB and dual-channel DDR400.
• ATI Radeon 9800 Pro Review - AnandTech’s review of the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, a high-end graphics card used in the Voodoo F510.

---
title: Voodoo F510 System Architecture
---
graph TD
    A["Intel Pentium 4 3GHz"] --> B["Intel 875P Chipset"]
    B --> C["DDR400 Memory"]
    B --> D["AGP 8x"]
    D --> E["ATI Radeon 9800"]
    B --> F["PCI"]
    F --> G["Creative Audigy 2"]
    B --> H["Serial ATA Controller"]
    H --> I["Seagate 120GB SATA RAID 0"]
    B --> J["ATA/100 Controller"]
    J --> K["Western Digital 200GB ATA/100"]
    B --> L["USB 2.0 / FireWire"]

[Yipster]

Here’s my review of the Voodoo F510. At the computer store I used to work at, they let me take it home for about 2 weeks. I had to write a review, so here it is.

Work That Voodoo

Voodoo PC has come out with a new Voodoo F-Class, the F510. This Calgary-based company specializes in high-end custom PCs. Basically, it’s for anyone that wants to get everything out of their PC without overclocking. Though this PC is often for a hardcore gamer who has an extra $6000 lying around.

The F510 utilizes Intel’s Canterwood technology. Intel’s Canterwood technology boosts the system bus up to 800MHz and allows the new Pentium 4 3GHz processor to be used with DDR400 memory. In addition, it uses the new 875-chipset from Intel which adds two built-in Serial ATA controllers.

All of this is just the power capabilities of the F510. It also comes with a top-notch graphics card, ATI Radeon 9800, and an excellent sound card, Creative Audigy 2. On the optical side, it has a DVD-ROM and a CD-RW drive. Moreover, it features a front-accessible multi-card reader.

There are two versions of the F510 system. The first version made use of Intel’s Serial ATA controller by using two 120GB Seagate SATA drives set up in a RAID configuration. The second version features only one 200GB ATA/100 hard drive from Western Digital. Both of these configurations, from the article writer’s point of view, performed excellently.

As with past Voodoo systems, the looks and sleekness are fantastic. The F510 comes with a custom paint job, where the purchaser can select his own colors. There is also a new Voodoo Tattoo option which allows users to upload a graphic, which Voodoo will paint on the system case. The side of the case is clear, with fluorescent lights that illuminate all the parts inside, allowing you to clearly see inside. When I said sleekness, I meant the inside cabling job—the wires are tucked away from sight. This not only allows a nicer look but keeps the system cooler because air travels more efficiently without the cables in the way. As a result, the F510 only needs two case-mounted cooling fans.

This is quite a “l33t” system for those hardcore gamers. However, it does come at a hefty price of $6295. If you don’t have that kind of “ka ching,” no need to fear—there is a cheaper system, the Fury. The price is still quite hefty, but it’s significantly lower than the F510. The Fury price range is around $3495 to $3795. Moreover, if you still can’t afford the Fury, you should ask yourself: do I really need a “super” computer?

To reiterate, if you want power and speed and you’ve got the “ka ching” for it, you should buy a Voodoo F-Class F510. Like all computer techies, I want this system and I want it bad—however, I don’t have the “ka ching” for it. Hopefully, my dream of becoming a multi-billionaire or even a multi-millionaire will come true so that I will be able to purchase one of these excellent systems.

Please let me know if you see any typos or grammar errors. Thanks in advance.

[i_R_Crazy_Idiot]

Most of us don’t want to burn that much on a computer when we can make a homemade rig much better than what’s offered there. You’re basically paying for the brand name.

[SeniorArchitect]

The Voodoo F510’s use of Intel’s 875P chipset was a key differentiator. The 875P, also known as Canterwood, was Intel’s premium chipset for the Pentium 4, offering features like PAT (Performance Acceleration Technology) that reduced memory latency. This gave the F510 a slight edge over systems using the 865PE chipset. Additionally, the 875P’s support for ECC memory made it attractive for workstation use, though the F510 was marketed as a gaming machine. The inclusion of two Serial ATA controllers was forward-thinking, as SATA was just beginning to replace PATA. The RAID 0 configuration with two 120GB drives provided impressive sequential read/write speeds for the time, though it came with the risk of data loss if one drive failed.

[FriendlyTechie]

I remember drooling over the Voodoo F510 back in the day! It was like the holy grail of gaming PCs. But honestly, building your own was way more fun and cost-effective. For the price of one F510, you could build a similar rig with maybe a slightly slower CPU but a better GPU or more RAM. Plus, you got the satisfaction of doing it yourself. If you’re looking to recreate that early 2000s experience today, you can find used Pentium 4 systems for cheap and drop in a Radeon 9800 Pro (they’re still available on eBay). Just be prepared for the heat and noise – those Prescott cores ran hot! And don’t forget the Audigy 2 sound card – it had amazing EAX support for games like Unreal Tournament 2004. Good times!